Machine for picking cotton



Jan. 30, 1934. F, M, POND 1,944,998

MACHINE FOR PICKING COTTON Filed Oct. 2, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 30, 1934. F. M. POND MACHINE FOR PICKING COTTON Filed Oct. 2, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet Jan. 30, 1934. F. M. POND MACHINE FOR PICKING COTTON Filed Oct. 2, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 30, 1934 UNETEED STATES PATENT QFFKiE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for picking cotton.

An object of the invention is to provide a ma chine of the character described specially de- 5 signed for use in picking cotton and other fibrous material from the stalks in the row.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fiber gathering machine of the character described whereby the fiber may be gathered from the stalks, or plants, as the machine passes along the row and delivered into a sack or other suitable receptacle provided to receive the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a fiber gathering machine, gathering needles, mounted to revolve in a novel manner, and to ro tate in one direction to strip the fiber from the plant, and in another direction to release the stripped fiber from the needles, in combination with means for collecting fiber stripped from said needles, and conveying the same to a suitable receptacle provided to receive it.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the machine.

Figure 2 shows a plan View of a stripping needle employed.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged fragmentary el vation of a stripper bar employed.

Figure 4 shows a side View of the complete machine. 5 Figure 5 shows an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1, and

Figure 6 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1 designates an upper frame preferably formed of channel iron and rectangular in shape. Depending from the side members of the frame are the front and rear hanger bars 2, 3 whose lower ends are attached to the longitudinal lower side members 4 preferably formed of channel iron, thus forming a supporting framework.

Secured to and extending forwardly from said framework are the supporting brackets 5, 5 whose forward ends have the upper fifth wheel 6 secured thereto and these brackets are reinforced by the angle braces '7, '7 which are secured to said brackets at their forward ends and to the frame 1 at their rear ends. There is a front axle 8 supported by the ground wheels 9, 9 and having the lower fifth wheel 10 on which the upper fifth wheel 6 works, said fifth wheels being maintained in assembled relation by means of the usual king bolt 11. There are the vertical side rods 12, 12, one on each side whose upper and lower ends are anchored to the corresponding upper and lower side members 1, 4 and fixed on these rods are the enlarged drums 13, 13. Around and supported on each drum 13, there is an annular race- 5 way 14 above which there is a similar annular raceway 15 and between these raceways there are the antifriction bearings 16. Around each drum there is a cylindrical rotatable shell 1'7, preferably formed of vertical sections for convenience in assembly as shown in Figure 6. Each shell has an internal annular flange 18 which is supported on the corresponding raceway 15. The upper end of each shell has a removable end plate thereon having an upward extension 20 formed with $5 a bearing to receive the corresponding rod 12 and this extension has a beveled gear wheel 21 and beneath it a sprocket Wheel 22 both keyed on said extension.

Depending from a suitable cross bar 23, sup- 8!) ported on the frame 1, are the hangers 24, 24 whose lower ends have the shaft bearings 25, 25 in which the counter shaft 26 is rotatably mounted and the ends of this shaft have the pinions 27, 27 fixed thereon in mesh with the corre- 5 sponding bevel gear wheels 21. The shaft 26 also has a sprocket wheel 28 fixed thereon.

Each drum 13 has the spaced annular rack members 29, therearound. These rack members have correspondingly arranged upper and lower series of gear teeth 30, 31 thereon and aligned between these rack members the shells have the radial bearings 32 to receive the outwardly extending stripper needles 33. These needles preferably taper outwardly and their inner ends have the spur gears 34 fixed thereon arranged to mesh with said corresponding series of gear teeth 30,

31 alternately, as the corresponding shell 17 rotates to the end that said needles will be rotated V forwardly and revercely during each revolution of the needles about the axis of the corresponding shaft. These needles may be provided with suitable teeth such as 35 as shown in Figure 2 to the end that they will engage with and strip the fiber from the plant as the teeth are revolved through said plant. The teeth of the respective shells are arranged in staggered relation as illustrated in Figure 5 and are so related that they will pass through the plants of the row .110

, which are fixed on the shafts 41 which in turn are mounted in suitable bearings on the upper and lower side members 1 and 4. Fixed on said shafts 41 above said brushes are the sprocket wheels 42, 42 which are aligned with the sprocket wheels 22 of the corresponding shells and sprocket chains as 43 operate over these corresponding pairs of sprocket wheels 22, 42, as shown in Figure 1 whereby the brushes will be driven in the same direction as that of the adjacent series of stripper needles 33.

There is a fan housing 44 mounted on the rear end of the framework and inclosing a suitable suction fan which is driven from the shaft 37, and is of conventional construction and not specifically shown and leading from the fan housing there is a delivery pipe 45 through which the gathered fiber may be delivered into a suitable sack or other receptacle. Leading forwardly from the fan housing 44 there is a suction pipe 46 which is connected into a branch nozzle pipe 47 whose forward ends terminate in the nozzles 48,

48. These nozzles are elongated vertically as shown in Figure 4 so as to be coextensive in Width with the length of the corresponding brushes 40.

The. rear end of the framework supports a suitable rear axle 49 which in turn is supported by the rear ground wheels 50.

Secured to the upper and lower side members of the framework are the rearwardly diverging arms 51, 52 to which the upper and lower ends of the corresponding stripper bars 53, 53 are secured. These stripper bars are preferably formed of sheet metal and their inner margins have the deep slots as 54 shaped to permit the corresponding needles 33 to pass snugly therethrough as said needles revolve, thus forming said bars with flexible arms between said slots.

In use the machine may be propelled along the .row in any selected manner so that the ground wheels 9, 9 and 50, will pass on opposite sides of the row. The shells 17 will be rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, so as to cause the needles 33 to revolve and penetrate the plants on opposite sides of the row. These needles, as they revolve, will be caused to rotate in one direction while passing through the plants and then in a reverse direction by the rack teeth 30, 31. As the needles pass through the plant they will come into contact with the cotton or other fiber of the plant which will be engaged by the teeth 35 and stripped from the plants and thereafter upon reversal of the needles, said fiber will be released and as the needles pass through the stripper bar 53 the released fiber will be forced by said stripper bars towards the ends of the needles and into the range of the rotating brushes 40 and the leaves and trash will be brushed from the fiber and the fiber will be released in front of the suction nozzles 48, 48 and will thereupon be caught up by the air currents and sucked through said nozzles and the nozzle pipe 46 and delivered out through the discharge pipe 45 to a receptacle prepared to receive the fiber.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the in vention by way of illustration only, while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fiber gathering machine, a fixed drum, annular rack members therearound and spaced apart and having series of rack teeth thereon, a shell around said drum rotatable about an approximately vertical axis, and having an annular internal flange, antifriction means supported on the drum and supporting said flange and shell, radial needles mounted to rotate in said shell, gears on the inner ends of said needles between said respective rack members and arranged to mesh intermittently with the corresponding rack teeth of said members.

2. In a fiber gathering machine, a stationary vertical drum, a cylindrical rotatable shell about the drum, said shell and drum having overlapping fianges, antifriction means between said flanges, said fianges and antifriction means forming supporting means whereby the shell is supported about the drum, said shell having radial bearings, fiber gathering needles rotatable in said bearings, a gear on the inner end of each needle, rack members supported on the drum and having alternately arranged upper and lower gear teeth positioned to mesh with gears of the corresponding needles whereby said needles may be rotated forwardly and reversely as the shell revolves about the drum and means for revolving said shell.

FRANK M. POND.

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